


Shadows Walking

by PurpleArrowzandLeather



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Gen, Hurt Jason Todd, Protective Bruce Wayne
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-05 00:12:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21205718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleArrowzandLeather/pseuds/PurpleArrowzandLeather
Summary: Many have tried to prove once and for all that Batman is a man. They’re tired of listening to all the speculation that he isn’t - that he’s a vampire, and instead of just blood he takes your soul, too.





	Shadows Walking

**Author's Note:**

> This was just a fun idea my brain cooked up, and I decided to roll with it. Please, take a seat and enjoy the show.

Bruce swipes at a smear of blood on his cheek, grimacing at the thought of Alfred having to clear up another stain. Whether the unconscious man under his hands knew it or not, he had cancer and was going to die soon. Bruce could taste it. His white blood cell count was already far too low, but there was nothing to be done for it. 

A throat clears off to his left and Bruce sighs. “Yeah, I’m comin’, Hood.” 

Jason huffs, swiping at his mouth with his sleeve. “Brooding over things you can’t change again?” He licks at his teeth, grimacing. “Man, it’s going to take hours to get the low-iron taste out of my mouth.” 

Dick laughs from over by the wall, the drug dealer still under his teeth shoving weakly at him. When he finally goes limp, Dick pulls back. “You say that like you weren’t expecting it. This guy reeks of the drugs even though he hasn’t had a taste in months. I doubt any of them are concerned with what they’re going to taste like.” 

Jason flicks blood from his guy at him. “Here, you try it.” 

“Eww.” 

“Would you two stop risking contamination and start gathering the evidence?” 

Bruce glances over at Damian where he has his guy pinned to the wall. He’s scowling, as usual, and he’s got a little bit of blood under his collar. Not his quietest takedown, but it could have been much worse. 

For Damian, his... affliction, as some would call it, was genetic. Talia was decidedly not happy when she learned that her son was a vampire, and as such, sent him to Bruce for the proper care. Honestly, that surprised Bruce more than anything else. Surely, Ra’s would love to have an immortal warrior, but apparently, Talia had other ideas. 

He was trained by the League until Talia realized he was feeding off of trainees in their sleep. However he got away with it, Bruce will admit that flying under the radar for ten years impressed him. 

Bruce opens up a comm line to Tim. “How’s your runner?” 

“_ Down for the count. Tried to lose me on Dodge, but _ _ it _ _ was a little sad considering the whole undead creature of the night thing.” _

“Gather anything that might be important and bring it back to the cave.” 

“_ Roger that, B.” _

Dick tips his head up towards the roof. “Hey. Do you smell that?” 

Jason glances up, giving himself a shake as he stoops to pick up his helmet. “Yeah. Smells like a cheap suit and notebook paper. It’s that damn reporter again.” 

Bruce hums. “Persistent.” 

Damian narrows his eyes. “The way he follows us around, you’d think he’d get tired of the stink.” 

“Sorry, Robin. I think only we smell that.” 

All of them refrain from mentioning that his less-than-human scent might just make it possible. Bruce has watched him in his spare time, trying to learn what all he can. Super-strength, hearing, and breath are noteworthy. Heat vision as well. He’s been coming up with a countermeasure for all of it in case they need it in the future. 

It seems fitting, really. Bruce has shielded his cowl from x-ray vision to keep out the snooping reporter, but he still tries to get a look at their faces. 

Jason is just waiting for the perfect moment to tell him that they know he’s there. Damian can’t help but be curious as to what Kryptonian blood entails. Bruce wants him out of their hair. Just what they need is a reporter snooping around. 

It pleases Tim to no end that there are no heartbeats for Superman to follow. No heat signatures for him to read. As if they’d allow him to see them even if they did have those things. 

Mr. Kent only keeps finding them because he has two working eyes. No concept of stealth, though. 

Bruce beckons his sons to follow him, swinging through the streets and listening to them chatter along the way. Vampires they may be, his sons are surprisingly sociable when in the right circles. 

Dick was turned a long time ago, Zucco having done it the night he killed the boy’s parents. He wanted Dick to have to live with it for eternity, but he hadn’t realized how resilient the boy was, even then. He went with Bruce willingly at the time, too confused and terrified to know what was happening to him and needing someone to be with him. He may have been scared, but even newly undead, Dick was so, so bright. 

Jason.... Well, Jason was turned long before Bruce got to him. It was the price he had to pay for medicine for his mother. His brave boy gave up so much only to be betrayed. It hurts in Bruce gut to know. At first, the price was money, and then he was a donor. Before he knew what happened, he woke up on the floor in his mother’s apartment where she OD’d with someone else’s blood in his tiny frame and a thirst that, at first, seemed unquenchable. 

One night, he told Bruce that he was cold. So cold his bones hurt. For hours, Bruce held him in front of the fire in the den, quieting him. 

It’s the same thing Jason said the night he died._ M’ so c-cold, B. Will you hold me? _

Even as strong as Bruce is, he almost lost his mind. He didn’t know it would take another small boy to snap him out of it. 

Bruce wasn’t quite sure at first if Tim was born or made, but it became clear his parents had no idea what was going on with him early on. A few blood tests confirmed he was theirs, but they definitely weren’t vampires. From the very moment Bruce found out Tim was studying them to survive, he did everything he could to help him. 

He brought Tim blood, and on the off night when his parents were actually home, he watched over him. Tim would never have told them that he’d been turned in the street while taking pictures of Batman and Robin. How could he? So, those awkward family meals usually ended with Tim puking into the toilet after eating all the human food, and Bruce would care for him. 

Bruce will never be able to say how much it hurt to see two parents so oblivious that their own child was starving right under their noses. It was worse to know that if Tim told them, they’d have probably said something like ‘that’s nice, honey’ and never tended to him. 

The road with his sons hasn’t always been smooth, but when they needed him, he was always there. When Dick moved to Bludhaven, he didn’t have any resources, so Bruce sent him blood. When Jason came back from the dead, half-mad with pain and anger, Bruce had been there. They still have their differences on killing, and Jason still drops the occasional body if he feels someone really deserves to be sucked dry, but Bruce refuses to let him be alone. 

When Tim overworks himself and forgets to eat, Bruce drops by to check on him. 

To Bruce’s dismay, Damian oftentimes doesn’t need help. Working cases, sometimes he’ll get a little overzealous when feeding, but then again.... He’s not used to stopping. 

“He still following us?” Dick asks. 

Bruce snaps back to himself, barely having realized they’d stopped for a little reconnaissance. Jason opens his mouth a little bit, taking in the dirty air of Gotham. Most of the boys don’t care for scenting that way because it makes their mouths taste bad, but Jason doesn’t seem to mind. If it does turn out to be really disgusting, he pulls out a cigarette and smokes the taste away. 

“Can’t smell him anymore, but there’s warmth more than any human nearby.” 

Bruce huffs. He was smart enough to move downwind anyway. 

Jason scents the air again. “We’ve got someone near the liquor store. Fear all over her. I don’t think she’s alone, but whoever’s with her.... It’s real faint.” 

“Tt. Maybe it’s a child.” 

Jason leans forwards to get a better look, the shadows in the alley below no affecting him too much. “I’m gonna get a better view from the street. I’ll let you know what I see.” 

“Be careful.” Bruce gruffs. 

Jason chuckles, knocking on his helmet. “Don’t worry, old man. I’m sure as a member of the undead, I can take a few more hits than your average Joe.” 

Bruce grumbles, but Jason pays him no mind. Dick snickers at him and Damian makes an indifferent noise. Bruce watches Jason travel in the darkness like he belongs there. Maybe it’s odd of him, but he takes pride in knowing that his sons get that from him. 

“_B, you there?” _

“I read you, Red. Tell me what we’ve got.” 

“_If my nose is right, and it usually is, we’ve got another vamp. He’s shadowing her, I think, but it’s hard to tell if they’re not just going the same way.” _

Dick makes a face. “Does he smell like anything else from down there? Is it clearer closer up?” 

Jason hums. “_Smells like a__n __old __cigar.” _

“Well, that’s helpful.” Damian grouses. 

Bruce shushes him, letting Jason take his time to get a better idea of what he’s looking at. He would get closer, but Jason wouldn’t want him to butt in. 

“_He’s definitely following her. I’m just not sure why, though.” _

“Why does anyone follow anyone?” Damian mutters. “He wants something.” 

Jason doesn’t comment, keeping an eye on both the woman and the man following her. Her fear is getting stronger. She most definitely knows that she’s being watched. Jason pulls his helmet off, tossing it up to Bruce where he’s peering over the fire escape. 

His domino comes free and he tugs the hood of his lower layer up around his face. “Stay with us from above.” 

Bruce confirms, Jason moving out onto the sidewalk and trailing them from across the street. Somehow, he manages to pull the leather jacket and hoodie look off without seeming like a drug addict. No one will mind him carrying weapons. 

Because Gotham. 

Part of it is because he doesn’t have his hands shoved deep into his pockets with his shoulders hunched. 

Jason observes from his side of the street. The woman the vamp is following is young, maybe even naïve enough to join a den if she wasn’t thinking too hard about it. She’s small, probably not much of a fighter if the vampire wanted to turn her just for the hell of it. The odor in Jason’s nose turns sour as she switches from fear to outright terror. 

“She’s gonna bolt soon.” Jason mutters, earning himself an odd look from a passerby. “Playin’ right into his hands.” 

“_Stay with them.” _

“That’s the plan.” 

When she finally starts running, glancing behind herself every few feet, the vampire follows with inhuman speed. Though her sudden screaming draws eyes, there isn’t a single person who makes an effort to help. Sometimes, Jason really hates Gotham. 

“_Keep your hood up, Red. Kent is still on us.” _

Jason scowls, pulling the strings a little tighter. “It’s a bit hard to do that and run.” 

The other vampire catches up to the girl and drags her into an alley, clamping a hand over her mouth and baring his teeth. Jason enters the mouth of the alleyway, growling as he secures his domino again. 

“Step away from her!” 

The vampire keeps one hand on the woman, easily stopping her from going anywhere. “What are you gonna do about it, eh?” 

Jason pulls out his guns. “I’m gonna blow your head off.” 

The vamp hisses at him, knocking the woman over the head and tossing her to the ground. Jason engages, missing his first few shots due to how quick the other vampire is. Before Jason really knows what’s happening, he’s on his back with one of his own guns pointed in his face. 

“The safety’s on.” 

“Wuh?” He tilts the gun to check. 

Jason tries to move, but the moment he does, the other vampire is bashing him over the head. He’s dazed and confused, but at least he’s still conscious. 

When the vamp is satisfied, he leaves Jason to stalk the woman. 

“_ Hood, what’s your status?” _

“Head’s fluffy.” 

Jason rolls onto his side, dragging himself upright out of spite for the other vampire. “If you touch her, I will kill you.” He stumbles, losing his balance and toppling again. 

He stops, grinning. “Haven’t had enough, huh?” He scents the air. “Ah. I see.” 

He turns his back to Jason, deeming him unthreatening. Jason growls again, biting his tongue to get a little of his own blood to well up and surging forwards. He bites into the other vampire’s shoulder, letting his blood swirl around like a toxin. His own mouth burns and he pulls back sharply. The other vampire howls, crying out with a horrible wail as Jason spits out what little of the other man’s blood got in his mouth. 

The woman he was stalking comes around with a groan, looking at Jason with a confused expression. “What’d you do to him?” 

“Heh. Gave him a taste of his own medicine, as it were.” 

The vampire cries out. “What did you do to me?!” 

Jason puts a hand to his forehead, wincing as he finds a pair of cuts. “Well, I hate to tell you this, buddy, but I’ve been dead before. It sucks, but it certainly has its perks. My blood is nasty stuff, isn’t it?” 

“I’m dying!” 

“Nah. You’ll feel like absolute shit for a while, but it won’t kill you.” Jason tugs out a long blade from the holster on his leg. “Unfortunately for you, this will.” 

With a swing of the blade, the other vampire is headless and the woman Jason saved is covering her mouth with a shaking hand. She’s crying, working her way up to being hysterical. Jason grumbles a little bit before offering her a hand. To his surprise, she takes it without really hesitating. 

“You’ll be safe now.” 

She takes in his leather jacket and outfit in general. “You’re the Red Hood.” 

Jason rolls his eyes under his mask, putting away his blade and leaning over to pick up his guns. Firing his grappling gun, he makes his way to the rooftops. He doesn’t see any of the others, even as good as his vision is, but it could be because of all the knocks to the head. 

“Hey, where is everyone?” 

Bruce is the first to answer him, knowing that radio silence makes all of his kids antsy. “_ Kent decided he was going to intervene. For what, we’re not sure. Red Robin is berating him now. Two blocks west of your position.” _ There’s a pause as Bruce listens to some of the conversation. “ _ Are you all right?” _

“I’m fine. Nothing a bag of cool-aid won’t fix.” 

“_ Get back to the cave. Let Agent A patch you up.” _

“Roger that.” 

With only a slightly swimmy head and his wits vaguely about him, Jason heads back to his bike. 

Bruce, on the other hand, is mid-interrogation. Dick and Tim are double-teaming Clark, and Damian looks about a hair’s breadth away from sinking his teeth into him just to shut him up. Bruce stands by, knowing they don’t need him for anything yet. They won’t hurt him. 

Probably. 

When the boys finish, Bruce approaches, grabbing the front of his shirt and growling. “Attempt to interfere again, and next time we won’t be so nice.” 

He’s sure to curl his lips enough for Kent to see his enlarged canines. The eye teeth are usually very good for intimidation, and Bruce has used them to his advantage on more than one occasion. 

“I-I’ll leave you alone. I swear. I jus- I was just, I only wanted to c-confirm or deny the rumors.” 

Bruce, simply for the sake of scaring him out of his wits, surges towards his throat. No doubt, he’d like for Bruce to break his teeth getting through his skin. 

Clark screams before realizing that Batman isn’t going to tear his throat out. His eyes roll up into his head and he passes out cold. For being Superman, he’s a bit gullible. Satisfied, Bruce takes the boys over the rest of the patrol route. It’s rare that all of them go out together like this, so he’s going to take what he can get. Jason being down for the count isn’t much of a comfort, but he’ll check on the boy when they all get back to the nest. 

With their stalker neutralized for the night, they move a quickly towards home. 

“Ah, Master Bruce. I had wondered how patrol went.” 

Bruce hums, tugging his cowl down. “It was decent. Mr. Kent attempted to follow us again.” 

“Yes. Master Jason informed me while we were treating his concussion. He’s had a change of clothes and an IV of blood, but I requested he stay in the infirmary until further notice. It appears I don’t have enough eyes for both him and all of you.” 

“You could have asked Barbara.” 

Alfred shoots him a look that says he’s being inconsiderate and the old man is not impressed in the least. “Miss Gordon has her own duties. The Birds of Prey need her assistance as much as you need mine, and I would rather not disturb her unless it’s truly necessary.” 

“Right. Sorry I suggested it. We’ll keep you apprised next time.” 

“Much obliged, Master Bruce.” 

Bruce glances at his sons as they slink into the changing rooms, humming a little before moving towards the infirmary. Jason is sitting on one of the beds, a book in his grip and a placid look on his face. 

“Hey, kiddo. Feeling better?” 

Jason’s eyes meet Bruce’s and he marks his page. “Yeah. It wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle. Had a couple of cuts and bruises, but still. A little residual wooziness if I had to guess.” 

“Come on. I’ll help you to your room.” 

Jason takes the hand Bruce offers him, resting a little weight on the old man’s arm once they’re moving to make him feel better. The sly look Bruce shoots him makes it clear he knows exactly what his son is doing. 

Upon reaching his room, Jason flops into his bed dramatically and rolls over. Bruce ruffles his hair before moving to Damian’s room. The boy narrows his eyes at Bruce’s hovering, but he doesn’t protest. Instead, he sips blood from a cup on his nightstand until it’s gone, raising a brow at Bruce. 

“Happy?” 

Bruce chuckles. “Very. Night, Damian.” 

“Hmph.” 

Checking on Tim is a completely different story. He’s already researching for another case, eyes glued to the laptop on his knees. Bruce slips into the room, coming up to the bedside and closing the laptop. Tim mewls a little, but Bruce hushes him and pulls back the covers. 

“You can’t stay up forever. A vampire you may be, you still should get some sleep.” 

“Night, B.” 

Bruce trails over to Dick’s room, his eldest son already asleep in bed. Out of all of them, he always was the most sensible when it came to getting to bed on time. Jason’s stubbornness has always been too endearing for Bruce to get upset, and Tim’s complaints are always short-lived and followed by sleep. Damian likes to think he can handle everything and can be snappish, but agreeable. 

As members of the undead, Bruce thinks it’s safe to say they’ll be fine even with a little insomnia. 

Bruce huffs to himself, smiling. If Jason had his way about it, he’d just say Bruce was just soft. Of course, as Bruce sees it, there’s nothing wrong with that. 

**Author's Note:**

> :)


End file.
